Published diaries, letters and journals Books

Book SynopsisNovember 1944 in war-torn Germany, 17-year-old Christa-Maria begins her compulsory service at a work camp in Wahrenbruck. Hundreds of miles from her home in Gleiwitz, unaware the Russian Army has invaded and occupied the town, she is cut off from her family. When the camp is closed in April 1945, Christa-Maria is left to fend for herself, not knowing what has happened to her family since the Russian invasion. Now a refugee, her journey through the chaos of war begins; surviving long enough to find her family is all that matters. Faced with an impossible decision, she begins her life-changing journey of uncertainty, hardship and endurance through the aftermath of WW2. Meanwhile, her older sister, Ursula, and their parents are in Gleiwitz. Now occupied by Russians, they live with the daily terror of bombings, rampaging Russian soldiers and utter devastation. Whilst trying to hold onto what remains of their previous life, their father strikes a black market deal to escape, in the desperate hope of finding Christa-Maria and avoiding imposed Polish citizenship. This compelling true story weaves together the sisters' individual journeys, fleeing as refugees, through the turmoil of their defeated homeland.Trade ReviewAn important piece of social history, two stories that had to be told and the telling is exceptionally well done.Angela Wren; This isn't Hollywood, this is real history and I found it gripping.Debbie Harvey; Engaging and heartfelt, transports you back to the aftermath of WW2, an enthralling read. Amelie Alop; An eye-opening account, revealing childhood delight, war time horrors, family separation and a nomadic existence through post war Europe. Charmaine Host; Deeply fascinating to read about WW2 from a German,female,civilian perspective. Celia CavanaghTable of ContentsFamily tree; Prologue; Chapters 1-24; Epilogue; Appendices; Maps and Photographs; References and Further Reading; Acknowledgments; About the Author

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Book SynopsisThis inspirational autobiography opens a window on the uniquely individual life of Vadim Muntagirov, one of the most celebrated dancers of our time. Vadim left home aged 10 to enter full time ballet training, arrived at The Royal Ballet School via the Prix de Lausanne aged 16 with no English, was cast as Albrecht in English National Ballet's Giselle aged 19 and danced Siegfried in Swan Lake at The Royal Albert Hall to considerable acclaim less than a year after graduating. Since then, with an expanded repertoire as a Principal with The Royal Ballet and in parallel demand as an international guest, Vadim's early promise has translated into a stellar career. Nicknamed Vadream, he is hugely admired and very much loved by audiences at home and abroad. Vadim's story affords a real insight into the intense work and level of commitment needed to rise to the top in ballet - and stay there. It enables readers to see the experiences which have shaped him, including the lasting effect of separation from his family, his rigorous early training, his discovery of a world beyond his homeland, and the unstinting support he has received in his adopted country as a student and during his years in the profession. This is a book which looks 'behind the scenes' and 'beyond the interviews' to reveal what is involved in becoming and being a Principal dancer, including the privilege of working with many ballet luminaries, the more informal moments, and the many etceteras which come with the job. But Vadim makes it about so much more than the daily 'ins and outs' as he shares his reactions, thoughts and emotions in a way which allows others to get to know him as a person.Table of ContentsPART ONE: STARTING POINTS [1990–2009] 1. A Child of the Urals 2. Six Years in Perm 3. An ‘Escape Route’ Emerges 4. The Leap to London PART TWO: FROM FIRST ARTIST TO LEAD PRINCIPAL [2009–2014] Repertoire with English National Ballet 5. In at the Deep End 6. Onwards and Upwards 7. All Change 8. An ENB Coda PART THREE: ROYAL BALLET MOMENTUM [2014–2022] Repertoire with The Royal Ballet 9. More Than Another Postcode 10. Diverse Debuts 11. On the Day of a Show 12. A Career on Hold 13. Nine Years and Counting PART FOUR: IT GOES WITH THE TERRITORY 14. Here, There and Everywhere 15. Teaching Is Learning Too 16. Beyond the Stage Door

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Book SynopsisA family containing six authors is special. When three of them independently become famous, the family is extraordinary. Such was the Strickland family, six sisters and two brothers, brought up in Suffolk, England with Lancastrian forbears and Canadian descendants. 'The Strickland Family' interweaves family letters, writings and newspaper items, allowing the family members to tell their own fascinating and varied life stories. Set in England and in Canada, their lives stretched from 1794 when King George III was on the throne, past celebrations for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Their father was a wealthy self-made man who believed that girls should be as well-educated as boys. The home education he devised for his daughters was of great breadth and depth. His sons were his two youngest children and went to schools. However a business deal went wrong in 1815 and he died in 1818 before he could re-coup the losses. He left his widow with debts, not income, and his sons' education was cut short. After his death, life for his family was a struggle, but they survived and to varying degrees prospered. Three of the family (Sam Strickland, Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill) were early emigrants to Canada. Their first homes were primitive log cabins in small forest clearings. As time passed and Canada developed, Sam became a successful farmer and businessman. His sisters struggled with Canadian pioneer life but both achieved long-lasting fame as writers - Susanna as a poet and novelist, Catharine through her writing for children and her botanical studies. Agnes Strickland was the most famous member of the family. She attended the Court of Queen Victoria and was a house guest in some of the grandest houses in Britain. Her sister and sometime co-author (Elizabeth Strickland) insisted on remaining anonymous, despite the complications this caused when their series of royal biographies 'Lives of the Queens of England' became an outstanding success. Agnes followed this with a biography of Mary Queen of Scots, which she considered her most important work. Jane Margaret Strickland, despite ill health and being the sister who stayed at home to care for their ageing mother, was also an author of note. Her many works included a history of Rome and a biography of her sister, Agnes. Of the two non-authors in the family, one (Sarah) became, in her second marriage, the wife of Richard Gwillym, a wealthy and well-connected vicar in Lancashire. The other (Tom) joined the merchant navy aged fourteen. As captain of beautiful but hazardous sailing ships, his working life took him all round the world. Despite the distances which separated them, family ties remained strong and they helped each other in times of need. Their interwoven biographies trace many of the changes and main events in Canada and England in the 19th century.Table of ContentsPictures 247-250, 416-419 19th century map of south-eastern Canada iv Introduction v Part 1: From Lancashire to Suffolk and Ontario 1 Part 2: Life patterns form and fame begins 97 Part 3: Return to Lancashire and difficulties 177 Part 4: Authors galore 251 Part 5: Life changes 331 Part 6: From eight to seven 421 Part 7: From seven to four 513 Part 8: A late flowering 571 Part 9: The sole survivor 615 Part 10: Lasting fame? 651 Acknowledgements 658 Appendix 1: Family members and key dates 659 Appendix 2: Principal works of the Strickland family 660 Appendix 3: References 661 Picture Credits 664

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Book SynopsisDiary of a Muslim Nobody attempts to reach out to society as a whole, regardless of affiliations and the social constructs of the labels we place ourselves in, with the intention to reach out to the commonality of the human experience. Interweaving between personal reflections of the human experience and commentary of global issues with touches of affection & humour through his relationship with his parents, Reaz attempts to demonstrate the multiplicity of experiences as we live our everyday lives. "I have always been very aware of the power of language and the potential of its impact upon our own selves as individuals, our relationships and interactions and indeed our perceptions. Perhaps the intrinsic relationship between our language and humankind may be best understood when we consider letters, by themselves, important in their own entity and when placed together becoming even more powerful to become words - giving them substance and meaning. In this instance, human beings may be aligned to letters - each important within our right and when we recognise our own value, we are then able to understand this in context to our relationship to one another. In that moment we are able to have the most profound and positive of impact in our own lives and in the lives of others around us." As featured by: BBC LONDON, British Muslim Magazine, I am HipHop Magazine & Asian Image.

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Book SynopsisCaerlaverock Castle - in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland - is the ancestral home of the Maxwell family. Reproduced here in facsimile, with half-tone lithographs and black-and-white illustrations, this second volume of 'The Book of Carlaverock' includes the fascinating detail of family correspondence as well as Royal, State and official letters. With charters, woodcuts of signatures, an Index of Names and an Index of Places.

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Book SynopsisIn a series of fourteen letters, written in 1722 as he journeyed through Scotland, John Macky set out to show that the 'kingdom will not appear so despicable as some parts of the world imagine'. Deliberately challenging the many negative accounts of the country in circulation at the time - by disgruntled English travellers and others who had never actually visited - this expatriate Scot published a lively and controversial guide to his native land. It proved to be a popular and influential work. This new edition is introduced and richly annotated by Anne M. McKim, with a full index of people and places.

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Book SynopsisJohn Manson's collection of letters to MacDiarmid, or to Christopher Grieve, or to Hugh or Chris or Christie or Hughie, is a major work. It is the fruit of a lifetime of dedicated scholarly research, meticulous, self-effacing study in libraries, most deeply in the National Library of Scotland and Edinburgh University Library, and follows his initial co-editorship with David Craig of the first Penguin paperback edition of MacDiarmid's Selected Poems (1970), and his later co-editorship of The Revolutionary Art of the Future: Rediscovered Poems, with Dorian Grieve and Alan Riach (2003). 'He is a fine poet and translator himself, and his small-press publications are to be sought out and read closely. However, this is a monumental achievement: a collection so rich in diversity, covering historical epochs, strata of human character, social engagement, political motivation and accomplishment, that it will take some time before its impact and value really sinks in and embeds itself in modern literary and political culture - especially in Scotland!' - from the Introduction by Alan Riach, Professor of Scottish Literature, University of Glasgow.Trade Review'[A] magisterial selection by John Manson - one of the most assiduous and effective labourers in the MacDiarmid vineyard for no less than seven decades. The printed letters are accompanied by detailed and informative annotations, and the book is further enlivened by more than thirty period photographs and other reproductions. [It] offers testimony to the extraordinary breadth of MacDiarmid's intellectual circle.' Professor Patrick Crotty, University of Aberdeen 'Manson's industry, and his enthusiasm for MacDiarmid, are overwhelming. Not for the first time, [he] has unearthed material that alters our view of his hero.' Brian Smith, The New Shetlander, Voar Issue 2012. 'This is a fascinating book, one to keep within reach for stimulation or escape from the troubles of the day.' Paul Henderson Scott, Scots Independent newspaper, March 2012. 'Reading this meticulously researched collection of hundreds of letters .. opens a window on a whole period of ideological struggle for national recognition, socialism and opposition to imperialism and war.' Jean Turner, Morning Star, January 2012Table of ContentsAcknowledgements. Hugh MacDiarmid: Put it to the Touch - An Introduction to Dear Grieve by Alan Riach. List of Abbreviations. Illustrations. Titles of Books Frequently Cited. Hugh MacDiarmid's Addresses. Note on the Text. The Letters - The 1920s; The 1930s; The 1940s; The 1950s; The 1960s; The 1970s. Letters to Hugh MacDiarmid which have previously appeared in print. Biographical List of Correspondents. Index

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Book SynopsisThe first eye-witness account ever published of the 1948 Israeli War of Independence, this riveting memoir of a young Israeli soldier became an instant bestseller on publication in 1949, and is still recognized as the outstanding book of that war, in the tradition of Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. First joining the Givati Brigade and later volunteering for "Samson’s Foxes", the legendary commando unit, Avnery took part in almost all the major battles on the Jerusalem and southern fronts. Written from the trenches, and from a military hospital bed, he offers an extraordinarily detailed account of the war, of fast-paced battles, and acts of extreme bravery, as well as the camaraderie and off-duty exploits of young men and women thrust into the front line. This is a gripping, sensitive, and at times deeply poignant account of the day-to-day brutalities of one of the most significant wars of our times.Trade Review"The two books by this remarkable man are brought together here for the first time." * The Good Book Guide *"1948” is a tenacious attempt to communicate the reality of war. It has invited comparison to Erich Maria Remarque’s 1928 classic “All Quiet on the Western Front,” and deserves it. * Christian Science Monitor *“This is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of Israel and the War of Independence.” * The Jerusalem Post *

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Book SynopsisHoushang Asadi’s Letters to My Torturer is one of the most harrowing accounts of human suffering to emerge from Iran and is now available for the first time in paperback. Kept in solitary confinement for over two years in an infamous Tehran prison, Asadi suffered inhuman degradations and brutal torture: suspended from the ceiling, beaten, and forced to bark like a dog, Asadi became a spy for the Russians, for the British – for anyone. Narrowly escaping execution as the government unleashed a bloody pogrom against political prisoners, Asadi was hauled before a sham court and sentenced to fifteen years. Here he confronts his torturer, speaking for those who will never be heard, and provides a glimpse into the heart of Iran and the practice of state-sponsored justice.Trade Review"[B]eautifully crafted, lyrical, and sad... An important firsthand account." * Library Journal *"The book would be remarkable on any terms, but it is made especially memorable by the chilling irony and heartbreaking naïveté that characterize Mr. Asadi’s tale... Mr. Asadi's dispassionate description of his experiences makes the book a permanent addition to the harrowing genre of the torture memoir. A powerful testament to what transpires in the prisons of Iran." * The Wall Street Journal *"The book would be remarkable on any terms, but it is made especially memorable by the chilling irony and heartbreaking naïveté that characterize Mr. Asadi’s tale... Mr. Asadi's dispassionate description of his experiences makes the book a permanent addition to the harrowing genre of the torture memoir. A powerful testament to what transpires in the prisons of Iran." * The Wall Street Journal *"With moving stories about fellow prisoners, biting commentary on the religious dictates imposed by his jailers, and meditations on the soul-destroying effect of false confessions and the special cruelty of his ideological, authoritarian interrogators, Asadi’s simple prose attracts even as the facts he reports repel...A horrifying glimpse of the decades-long nightmare still afflicting the people of Iran." * Kirkus Reviews *"A searing and unforgettable account. . . Asadi is a gifted storyteller." * Publishers Weekly *"Beautifully crafted, lyrical, and sad... An important firsthand account". * Library Journal *"A searing and unforgettable account. . . Asadi is a gifted storyteller." * Publishers Weekly *"Iranian journalist Asadi offers a searing and unforgettable account of the six years he spent in prison after being arrested in 1981 in the aftermath of the Islamic revolution. Twenty years later, now living in Paris, Asadi records his recollections of torture and imprisonment in the form of 27 letters to his interrogator, whom he calls Brother Hamid. Required at all times to wear a blindfold in Brother Hamid’s presence, Asadi developed a relationship with and a perverse dependence upon his torturer, which he describes in graphic detail, along with the endless parade of humiliations he was required to endure while being falsely accused of being both a British and a Soviet spy. Asadi is a gifted storyteller; even if the text, which jumps about chronologically, can be momentarily confusing, his ability to convey the toll of torture and imprisonment is undiminished. And the choice of the epistolary narrative device is a felicitous one: it’s as if the reader has found these letters in a shoebox or a locked drawer, making for harrowing and unique reading." (June) * Publishers Weekly *"With moving stories about fellow prisoners, biting commentary on the religious dictates imposed by his jailers, and meditations on the soul-destroying effect of false confessions and the special cruelty of his ideological, authoritarian interrogators, Asadi’s simple prose attracts even as the facts he reports repel...A horrifying glimpse of the decades-long nightmare still afflicting the people of Iran." * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book Synopsis'Fresh and eager...rich in character...so infectiously alive to the simple pleasures that even now the senses quicken to read it.' Jan Morris in The Times '...a brilliant picture of traditional English rural society ... (Parson Woodforde) is now among the most unforgettable characters of English literature.' Ronald Blythe in the Introduction The world in which Parson Woodforde lived was tumultuous to say the least. Yet while the French Revolution and the American War of Independence shook and changed the world, this kindly country priest fills the pages. of his diary with the ordinariness of his life, firstly in a Somerset parish and then in rural Norfolk. He accords no more importance to the Fall of the Bastille than to the extra large crab he buys from a local fisherman or the cost of ribbons for his niece's hats. Particularly vivid are the descriptions of the gargantuan meals he enjoys with friends and neighbours, his remedies for ailments, his descriptions of East Anglian winters, his modest but unfailing generosity to the poor and his enthusiasm for local gossip. Parson Woodforde's diary provides an extraordinary portrait of life in Georgian England, but it is the diarist's humour and unpretentiousness which ensure its place among the classics of English literature.

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated collection of the author's regular weekly column on the back page of the "Church Times", where, with a poet's eye, he observes the comings and goings of the rural world he sees from his ancient farmhouse in Constable country.

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Book SynopsisDawn Powell's remarkable Diaries will stand as one of her finest literary achievements.

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Book SynopsisR.F. Langley's 'Collected Poems' (Carcanet, 2000) was one of the poetic highlights of recent times, showing a sometimes sceptical public that a contemporary poet could still engage with the shades of Modernism and produce fascinating and original work. Throughout his life, the author has been maintaining a journal, which is part diary, part autobiography and part commonplace book; some extracts from these fascinating volumes have been appearing in 'P N Review' since 2002. This book offers a number of selections, ranging in time from 1970 to 2005, which will give admirers of his poetry a clearer idea of the author's other writings, which run in parallel with his poetry and sometimes provide the underpinnings for it.

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